Fate Extra - A Hunter's Saber
by Kikaromi
Summary: Forced into a war with no memories, Noel must come out on top for single wish. His only hope for survival-a man only known to him as Saber. Part of my F/E AU series.


___**Heya one and all, Kikaromi here.  
This is story two of my Fate/Extra AU series; do note this is separate from Blessings of Asclepius.  
**_**_However, that doesn't mean you won't see one group in the other's story! Look out for them!_**

___**Anyhow, this is the intro for the first "Main" group - Noel from XIII-2 and his servant Saber from Last Ranker.  
With that all said and done, I hope you enjoy the read!**_

* * *

_The sky burns. Houses collapse into ruin. People fall to the ground. Roads come to an end. _

_The conflict started here. With this, the world that once was will be restored._

_It is here that "I" alone had survived._

_Don't remember/_**Never forget.**

_Oblivion is salvation and sin._

_Never forget._

"_I" was born from perdition._

_This must be a nightmare._

_This had to be somewhere;_

_It could be anywhere, these events that occurred in the true memories of childhood._

_A torrent of blood flows, and a voice resonating with bitter resentment can be heard._

_Lives fade away without a thought. Friends, family, strangers: all gone._

_I could not accept all I have seen. The question of "why?" never left me._

_Even with the divide between conflict and catastrophe, why did such a tragedy occur?_

_No, more importantly-_

_Why has this world became a hell on Earth?_

_A gentle rain begins to fall. _

_All things once living fade away, only leaving one behind._

_Amidst the helplessness and despair, their soul's last feelings are of rage and regret._

_The rain wets their cheeks as their eyes close one last time…_

**Dying forgotten and alone.**

_Seeing this, I struggle to rise from the depths of death. I will not accept the fate I've been shown._

_If I can live again, I will definitely-_

_**Never forget.**_

_**I was born from perdition.**_

_**What that means-**_

_**Somehow, please don't forget it.**_

* * *

Awakening from the most twisted and frightening dream to ever plague his sleep, Noel nearly flipped right out of the rather cozy bed he'd been sleeping in. It was strange- he didn't remember any part of the dream, but thinking about it brought a sense of doom and dread to his mind. Perhaps they were memories he'd long since forgotten?

Though onto more pressing matters, where was this place? From the plain white beds with matching sheets and the curtains separating each bed, this room had to be like a nurse's office or a hospital. Had he been injured and carried here? All these questions, yet with no clear answer for any of them.

Noel sighed and sank back into the bed, pressing a naked hand to his forehead. Everything here was a mystery, yet the bigger mysteries were his memories or the lack of memories specifically. He could recall his name and the most important things about his life, but anything else? It was as if he stared at blank pages hoping for words to spawn.

Sitting around here pondering the strange occurrences wouldn't suddenly spur his memories. Best be up and at 'em.

"You sure can sleep a long time, Master." Out of thin air a young man dressed in a black uniform with a red collar and yellow trimming stood before the confused soul. He stood upright like a soldier, the white patch on both of his shoulders hinting at his connections to the army or an armed militia group. Piercing scarlet eyes seemed both unamused and hid a hint on concern, staring straight at him. "For a while I thought I was summoned to clean up the bodies of failed Magus again. However, you've saved me from dirty work this round. I should thank you."

"AH!" Noel yelped, tumbling out of the bed at the appearance of the slightly older male. He hadn't even walked through a door or anything; he appeared as thought he'd been watching him in the shadows the entire time! And if that were the case, why? Didn't some stranger have better things to do than watch a random person in a hospital bed?

"Y-Who are you…?" His voice cracked from the impact.

"In more formal terms, I am your Servant for the duration of the Holy Grail War. Though from your reaction and horrible hesitation when establishing your right as my Master earlier, I doubt you know a thing about any of this." The mysterious man sighed, seemingly upset about Noel's little-to-no knowledge of anything that was going on. "Basically, consider me your living, breathing, and talking sword and shield as you fight others like you to obtain one wish."

'Holy Grail War?' 'Servant?' Whatever this man was talking about, he sure was right about him not having a clue about any of these foreign concepts. The less detailed explanation helped with the very minor details, but it didn't scratch the surface of why he was here and who he was exactly.

"Servants are Legendary Souls reincarnated to protect Magus such as yourself during the Holy Grail War. Each one of us is sorted into seven classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker." Noel's companion moved along the conversation as if he was reading Noel's mind. "As for myself, I am part of the Saber class, so you may refer to me as such."

'Saber' extended his hand for Noel to shake, though no sort of motion is made to return the courtesy. "I was asking for your actual name…Saber." Noel responded with a frown.

The Servant shook his head and seemed more than reluctant to share that tidbit of information. As for why his name was to be this horribly shrouded secret was beyond his comprehension. "Sorry, I can't tell you this early in the war. I mean no disrespect Master, yet I would hate for your enemies to interrogate the information out of you and doom us both. As a fresh Magus, the more experienced of the 127 opposing Masters wouldn't hesitate to leave your blood on their walls just for my True Name."

Saber's words frightened Noel. People would kill others just to learn a Servant's name? This wish had to be sought after by even the cruelest and most vicious hearts if such a thing were common. At least if he had Saber (something told him that true name of his Servant wouldn't be shared anytime soon), things should progress smoothly. He did promise to act as his living sword and shield… Noel would have to put his life in the hands of this man whether he liked it or not.

Thinking about Saber's True Name sparked a remembrance in Noel; he hadn't introduced himself yet! "Well Saber, my name is Noel Kreiss, pleasure to meet you," He smiled before giving a slight demand. "You can call me Noel instead of Master all the time. I'd rather we talk to each other as equals, okay Saber?"

Saber once again shook his head the second Noel dictated he refer to him by his first name and not the title of Master. "I do apologize, but any respectable Servant is accustomed to addressing their Master as such. However…" That wry smile of his could mean two things: a deal, trouble, or a combination of both. "If you can pass the First Elimination Round, I promise I shall henceforth call you Noel."

"Elimination Battle…?" The brunet knew he wouldn't win against his Servant. But what was this Elimination Round he just suddenly brought up out of the blue? Was there more to this Holy Grail War? Boy did it suck to have the short end of the stick whenever talking about information. As long as Saber knew everything, he could catch up and he seemed to have quite an extension of knowledge.

"Every week in the Holy Grail War you are to face off against a fellow Magus and their Servant. If you are victorious both you and I advance to the next round. The loser is erased from existence." Saber scowled for a fleeting moment at the mention of losers being erased. "Hence the Master who lasts all seven rounds is the single Master allowed to wish upon the Holy Grail. Their Servants are granted a wish as well, so our rewards are the same."

The Holy Grail grants a single wish to the winner alongside their faithful servant for protecting their master's life the entire war? His curious mind already formed a giant list of wishes he could ask to be granted, but he'd have to pick just one wish in the end. Apparently Saber had a choice for a wish too, arising Noel's curiosity a second time. Was that the largest reason why Servants protected their Masters feverishly until both of their dying breaths? Saber didn't really strike him as the sort to protect someone for himself yet looks were deceiving.

"Saber, do you have a wish you want granted?"

Saber flicked his wrist and let out a short huff. His wish sounded more like a dream someone trusted to a Dandelion or a shooting star. Though to his own defense he thought of this wish in his days as a child. And like all kids' dreams, his was far beyond the word cliché.

"My wish…was to make everyone in my hometown happy. Stupid considering my profession involves the taking of lives, and the same is required as a Servant. However, I could always walk home content if I helped someone…" Saber's voice trailed off the longer he spoke, eventually dimming to a whisper Noel could barely hear against the chirping birds outside the office window. The Master's smile encouraged the young soldier his dream wouldn't be made fun of and instead be respected. That marked a relief.

* * *

Their conversation came to abrupt halt as a teenage girl wearing a doctor's jacket on top of a brown school uniform walked into the room. Her violet hair color alongside the petite red ribbon in her hair was notable features as well. Upon stumbling a gaze onto the single Master in this room she smiled, looking rather relieved and letting out a load of stress in a single breath. "What a relief, everyone was worried you were too drained from the preliminaries that you wouldn't participate in the Holy Grail War!" She sounded a bit giddy for a stranger in Noel's opinion.

Her attention switched to Saber a moment later, her smile brightening the entire room. "It's been a while, Saber. I haven't seen you with a Master for a long time. How are you feeling working alongside another Master after so many wars?" Wait a second…this girl knew Saber…? Things reached a whole new level of confusion. How did this random girl have more familiarity with his Servant than him? "Oh, do pardon me! My name is Sakura Matou; I run the Nurse's Office for the duration of the Holy Grail War. I've seen every Servant at least once or twice, so I know what I'm saying when you're lucky to have the cooperation of this Saber!"

Saber's face dyed a rosy pink, matching his maroon eyes and outfit. Sakura tent to drown him in compliments for visiting her the most out of a large amount of Servants. Thankfully she refrained from accidentally spilling his True Name within the first five minutes he told his Master he'd save it for much later in the Holy Grail War. She merely fawned over the taller Servant and whispered a few hushed comments for Noel not to hear. What they were about exactly…anyone could guess and get it wrong.

"Sakura, _please_. I missed you too, though could you refrain from circling around me with my Master present…?" Speaking of Noel, he sort of backed off a few steps to let Sakura do her circle dance thing. He was so clueless it was painful. "Master, despite her giddy attitude, she is a wonderful nurse and rumor has it she makes lunches for frequent visitors."

"Speaking of lunches, I have a gift for your Mister…Noel, right? Don't be shy, it's nothing bad."

Noel, in spite of her basking in Saber's glory, trudged over to Sakura to receive a tiny bundle of items. One was a box with a fragrance of food. On top of it was what resembled a monitor with a few buttons like a phone. No doubt it had to be a device for him to communicate and collect information. It clicked to life with a touch of a finger, reading some extensive code he couldn't recognize to save his life.

"What I gave you is a terminal so the SERAPH, the ruling entity of the Holy Grail War, can contact you about information regarding Cipher Keys or who your opponent will be in the Elimination Round that week. It also has a code to your private room- a special room where only you and your Servant can access." Sakura regained that cunning smirk of hers again… "Your room is 2B, on the second floor. I hope you enjoy a regal room, Saber decorates his Masters' Private Rooms in styles fit for kings!"

Saber gave up fighting her; his head hanging in resignation signaled the inevitable defeat. The cheerful young lady wouldn't change her sugar-coated opinion of him and his decorative skills no matter the words or physical proof. So long as his master would be pleased with his accommodations, wasting precious breath hardly struck the bow as completely rational to the conversation.

"Master, I advise we retire to our private room for the rest of the day. You are in no condition to fight and I do not feel completely normal either. If you wish to share a heart to heart, doing so in privacy is my single requirement." Saber didn't wait for an answer, jerking Noel's arm and dragging him out of the nurse's office without another word. He must've _really_ hated how much Sakura painted him in this rose-colored light.

On the second floor to the right were two classrooms, 2B and 2A. Was their private room supposed to be a classroom? How would Saber manage to build a throne fit for a king if all he had to work with were desks and maybe a few other accessories. From his Servant's unrelenting silence, it would be nothing more than a waste of time interrogating the information from him. No need to get on Saber's bad side when they haven't even learned who their opponent is supposed to be.

The farther classroom, 2B, had a strange purple barrier on both the doors; those had to be the walls that prevented enemy Masters and Servants from passing through. "Hold up your terminal to the door and it should allow your access." With his advice, Noel did as he was told and held the terminal close to the door's barrier. Sure enough, it faded and the handle to open the doors were now responding to his touch.

* * *

"Alright, so let's see this…room?" Noel couldn't exactly take in what he was seeing; **this **was a _classroom_?

Right from the moment of entry, four windows bathed the room in a golden light, accenting the matching colored walls. Red drapes hang from the ceiling, one of them suspending a moderate sized dream catcher. In the far left corner lay a bed large enough for two occupants, and just diagonal from that was a desk and chair, both with impressive craftsmanship. Some of the walls were "decorated" with weapons such as pistols, knives, swords, and shields, hinting Saber seemed to have a knack for expecting the unexpected. And this entire room was a **classroom**. How did Saber do all this?!

"I managed to convince the SERAPH to allow me a personalized room whenever I am assigned to a Master. I hope the accommodations are to your liking, as we are bound to be in this room quite often in the near future." Saber said matter-of-factly. "If you are done standing there with your mouth agape, you should rest. I will be right at your side."

Noel was guided to the bed right in the corner, his Servant ushering him to sleep and laying the covers over him. Saber, however, did not join him and instead rested himself on the floor next to the bed. As much as he protested against him sleeping on the cold, uncomfortable floor, he learned from the get-go he wouldn't be winning any arguments against this guy for a while. Still, he refused to be beaten.

Thinking on the devious side, Noel thought of a way to make Saber's sleep on the floor more comfortable than trying to drag him into bed and thus getting yelled at for such. He waited until he could hear the other's breathing steady and stealthily climbed out of bed and removed two pillows and the top layer blanket. With one hand, he lifted Saber's head to place a pillow underneath it and placed the other next to his for himself. Once settled in a nice spot, Noel maneuvered the blanket so it covered both of them.

Adding the final touch to this plan, Noel scooted his pillow and his body closer to Saber, who luckily was facing his direction. Cuddling up close to the man's chest made him feel safer; his Servant had this aura of protection and authority about him that comforted him. "Goodnight Saber." His voiced came as an awkward whisper since he yawned in the middle of his sentence and soon drifted into sleep as well.


End file.
